Five minute Break
by illeai
Summary: What harm could a five-minute break do? [mitko]


****

Five-minute Break

There was only one piece of paper left.

Hanamichi Sakuragi's paper was already full of holes because he had been erasing his answers non-stop since their study seession had started whereas Kaede Rukawa's paper had been drooled upon because the moment the said study session had started, he fell asleep. But now, Captain Takenori Akagi was expecting their answers in the mock test that he had given them. They had no choice—they had to redo their answer sheets.

And so, they both reached for the said paper at the same time. Seeing another hand on the paper that wasn't his and knowing exactly whose hand it was, the two started a glaring match, doing their best to incinerate the other.

"Let go, you baka Kitsune." Hanamichi growled—it was forbidden to have shouting matches in the Akagi household.

"Do'aho." Rukawa retorted just as low.

With those words, war had been declared. Ryota Miyagi, who was unfortunately sitting beside Hanamichi, moved his chair closer to Ayako. The team manager, seeing the impending danger, automatically reached for her trusty paper fan. Vice-captain Kiminobu Kogure put down his mechanical pencil in preparation of breaking up the fight that was about to come. Hisashi Mitsui grabbed his own answer sheet away from the juniors across him (he had a hard time answering Kogure's questions, after all) and with a shake of his head, he signaled his tutor not to interfere.

Of course, before the anticipated fight began, Akagi had done the damage control—he brought down his fist twice.

"Itai! Gori!"

That earned Sakuragi another blow.

"Concentrate." Akagi was giving the juniors a Disobey-at-your-Own-Risk look.

"How can the Tensai concentrate? I have a drooling stupid fox to my left, a lovesick Ryocchin to my right, a gorilla for a tutor and we didn't have any single break since this study session has started!"

"How about a five-minute break, Akagi?" Kogure suggested mildy, trying to focus on the last part of Sakuragi's complaints. It wouldn't do them any good if he reprimand the redhead for his insults. After all, for Hanamichi Sakuragi there was only a thin line separating insults and nicknames.

"Easy for you to say Kogure." Akagi muttered. "Your charge catches up quick."

"I'm not stupid." Mitsui, seeing that it was already safe, placed his answer sheet back on the table.

"What's that supposed to mean, huh, Micchy?"

"Don't call me that!"

"They _do_ deserve a break, Captain." Ayako reasoned out, breaking yet another war. "Ryota is doing wonderfully." She ignored the flying heart that passed in front of her, knowing it came from the point guard beside her. "And the same goes for Mitsui-sempai. As for Hanamichi Sakuragi and Rukawa, well, think about it. They were in their best behavior in the past hour.

"Besides, what harm could a five-minute break do?"

"Why are all these food on the table?" Akagi was gone for just a few seconds to get more papers and the moment that he had returned, the dining table they were using was full of chips and cookies. "You can't turn a five-minute break into an impromptu party."

"Wanna bet?" Mitsui grinned, opening a can of soda for Kogure.

Nodding his thanks to the boy beside him, Kogure hastily amended Mitsui's words. "Not a party. Just eating a little snack."

"Everyone needs food." Miyagi pointed out as he munched on one of the cookies.

"Except for the fox. I get to eat his share. Nyahahahaha!" Hanamichi grabbed the can of soda that was Rukawa's intended share. The raven-haired boy had fallen asleep the moment Akagi declared the break.

Akagi was about to protest when they heard a low growling sound.

Hanamichi picked up a plate of cookies and offered them to the captain. "Cookies, Gori?" he asked innocently.

Hanamichi ended up eating the cookies that he offered earlier. It was considerate of him to offer the cookies for he knew that growling sound and that the said sound came from Akagi. But what did the Gori do? He hit him. So with a speed that could rival Miyagi's, he polished off the plate he had previously offered.

He was starting with the chips when suddenly something went the wrong way. Choking, he grabbed his soda but it was just his luck—the can was already empty. His face turned purple and he clutched his throat to get the damned thing out. He couldn't die! What would the team do without the Tensai?

Kogure, ever considerate, opened a can of soda for Hanamichi which he promptly drank. After recovering, he turned his grateful brown eyes to the vice-captain. "Thanks Megane-kun. You just saved the Tensai's life."

"Though we wish he hadn't," Mitsui muttered.

"Please don't start now," Kogure pleaded, picking up his pencil and started to correct papers.

Hanamichi glared at Mitsui but decided not to give the other player a head-butt since he was sitting in close proximity to Megane-kun. He was indebted to the vice-captain after all.

Not wanting to choke again, Hanamichi pushed the chips aside and concentrated on other things. Like the soda can that he was holding. There was something about the soda that he just couldn't place.

The can was moist; the coolness was almost gone now. But that wasn't it. Neither was the brand. He took a sip—nope, not the taste either.

Maybe he was just being paranoid. It wasn't like Megane-kun to place something—

Hanamichi sat up straight as realization struck him. That was it. The vice-captain could open a soda by himself; he opened a can for him. But didn't Micchy open a soda for Megane-kun earlier? And Micchy's reaction…was that…jealousy?

When in doubt, ask.

"Oi, Micchy, you were jealous because Megane-kun opened a can of soda for me, weren't you?"

Mitsui glowered at him in reply.

"Eh?" Kogure looked startled for a moment and then, he smiled sweetly. "No need to be jealous."

Hanamichi gasped. Was that an affirmation of love?

As if confirming his thoughts, Mitsui moved his chair closer to Kogure. Then, he wrapped an arm around the vice-captain's shoulder as if it was the most natural thing to do on earth.

There was that "Aha, I get it" glint in Hanamichi's eyes. The Tensai could not be wrong. And since that no one else had taken notice of the small exchange, it was the Tensai's duty to tell the others what they didn't see.

"Megane-kun and Micchy are a couple."

Time seemed to stand still after the announcement. Everyone turned to the redhead, shocked at what he had said. The little proclamation was so shocking that even Rukawa woke up from his nap.

Finally breaking the stunned silence, Ayako raised her paper fan to slap the redhead. Fortunately, Hanamichi saw it coming and he held up his hands, motioning the team manager to stop.

"Wait! He has his arm around Megane-kun." The redhead pointed at the couple in question. "Look."

Kogure was still startled but Mitsui looked as if he had already recovered. And the hand that was resting on the brown-haired boy was still there, firm in its hold.

Hanamichi and Miyagi looked at each other as understanding passed between them. It was shocking for the point guard but he couldn't deny what he was seeing as of the moment. "I see your point," Miyagi finally said. "But I didn't think that it was possible. I mean gangster Mitsui and quiet, kind Kogure-sempai together?"

"Hanamichi Sakuragi, I hate to say this but it appears that you are correct in your deduction," Ayako admitted, looking at the couple across them. "It seems that there is hope for you after all.

"But the question is still why," Ayako continued. "Why would gentle and kind Kogure-sempai fall for bad boy Mitsui-sempai. And vice-versa. It seemed that their relationship is rooted from something deeper. But who among us could tell what transpired three years ago? We weren't the ones there."

At this, three heads turned to the only non-participant of the current conversation (excluding Rukawa, of course, because he just didn't participate). Akagi gave them a look that said, "I'm not going to participate in this kind of conversation."

Hanamichi, being the genius that he was, interpreted it as an "I'm-not-going-to-out-my-friend"-look. "Gori, don't worry about outing Megane-kun. You're not going to. _I_ manage to find it all out by myself."

A tick appeared in Akagi's forehead. But he might as well give in to the inevitable. He had suspected it as much, all these years. It didn't mean that he was going to fully participate, though. "Electrons are attracted to protons as much as protons are attracted to electrons." He paused and then added, "They've always been that way." Whether the captain meant the theory of particles or Mitsui and Kogure, his three juniors did not know.

Question marks hovered above Hanamichi's head. "Uh, translation please?"

Rukawa, on the other hand, went back to sleep the moment he heard the word "electrons".

"Of course!" Ayako exclaimed, completely understanding what their captain meant. "The reason why they had fallen for each other is their difference. Natural laws of attraction."

"Opposites attract," Miyagi further simplified. "Hey! Maybe that what makes their relationship deep." At this note, the point guard's reasoning took a romantic turn. "Despite everything that happened to them, they managed to look past everything and withstand the consequences. They fought and fought hard at that for their relationship."

Ayako sighed. "They just so complement each other. Yin and yang."

"Sword and sheathe."

"The TV and the remote."

The two second years turned to Hanamichi, their expression questioning.

"They're different but they work well together." The redhead shrugged in explanation.

"Excuse me," Kogure intercepted softly. Or at least he tried to.

But the vice-captain's voice was too soft to be heard and so, Miyagi continued. "Imagine, three years of separation, angst and suppression of their feelings for each other, which finally led to that gym incident. Remember how agitated Kogure-sempai was that day?"

"Yes. And later on, they are already ok with each other." Ayako agreed, following Miyagi's train of thought.

"So, it is safe to conclude that somewhere between the gym incident and Mitsui's official return to the team, something happened." Miyagi paused, drawing out the moment. "Something _special._"

"What is it?" Hanamichi asked. Ayako was equally curious and even Akagi was looking at the point guard.

Kogure took the lull in the conversation to his advantage and cleared his throat. When he had everyone's attention, he said, "Don't you think it's a little rude to talk about us while we're here in front of you?"

Silence.

Then, Hanamichi pointed out gleefully, "Aha! And so he admits it! He used 'us'. Us!" He struck a pose. "I am such a genius." To complete his spiel, he laughed loudly.

Kogure, in an attempt to correct the redhead, waved his hands in a negative gesture. "No, no, no. I didn't mean it that way."

Unfortunately, Hanamichi's voice overrode the vice-captain's. "So, Ryocchin, what is it?"

Making sure that he had everyone's attention, Miyagi revealed, "Confession."

"Ok, I can accept that," Hanamichi agreed after a few moments of contemplation. "But who made the first move to confess?"

"Electrons are moving particles," Akagi offered but the redhead looked more confused.

Ayako sighed in frustration, "Akagi-sempai, you are totally ruining the super duper love-love moment here."

"Super duper love-love moment?" Miyagi and Sakuragi echoed, startled by the unfamiliar yet nauseating words.

"Yes, super duper love-love moment. This is it for Mitsui-sempai and Kogure-sempai." Ayako turned to the couple in question.

Kogure was blushing whereas Mitsui remained unmoved. The MVP, however, removed his hand from the vice-captain's shoulder.

"This is still a study session," the captain argued.

"And we are still on our five-minute break." Ayako countered, turning her eyes to their captain.

Akagi was silent, holding the team manager's gaze. Admitting to himself that Ayako had a point, he averted his eyes and answered Hanamichi's question directly. "Mitsui probably did. Kogure's the type who would wait forever. He never stopped believing that one day Mitsui would return to the team despite his fall, after all."

"But aren't confessions romantic? Micchy can't be romantic." Hanamichi protested.

"I disgree," Ayako said. "People who are usually tough on the outside are really soft in the inside. I think that Mitsui-sempai happens to be a classic example. Though, he probably had a hard time confessing. Maybe he did it through a letter? Or through his jokes?"

Miyagi shook his head. "It won't work. Every subtle kind of confession would get misinterpreted by Kogure-sempai. He is the type who would not assume that someone has crush on him, thinking that he's plain and all. He wouldn't believe it unless that someone would come to him and directly confess. That was what Mitsui ended up doing.

"Imagine Mitsui coming up to Kogure-sempai after basketball practice, dragging him into one corner to say 'I guarantee it won't be easy. I guarantee that one point or another one of us is going to want to leave. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine I am going to regret it for the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart, you are the only one for me.'"

His little monologue brought silence to their little group. With cheeks slightly aflame, Miyagi knew that he had said too much.

"Ryota, that was actually good." Ayako was impressed.

"Yeah, Ryocchin. Didn't know you had it in you," Hanamichi agreed.

"'The Runaway Bride'," Miyagi mumbled.

"Huh?"

"It was from 'The Runaway Bride'."

Hanamichi looked at the point guard, searching. When he found that Miyagi was blushing, he chortled, "That's a chick-flick!"

"Yeah, it is. Any problem with that?" Miyagi challenged, his hands clenched into fists under the table, ready.

"Nothing." Ayako was smiling softly. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"But Mitsui has too much pride to say something like that," Akagi reminded them.

"Who needs pride when you confess?"

Everyone turned to the source and to their surprise, they discovered it was Rukawa. Their expressions turned from surprise to shock when it sank in that the super rookie was _awake_ and following their discussion.

"But I believe that Mitsui is a man of action," Rukawa continued. "So what he probably did was to lock himself and Kogure-sempai inside the locker room, pushed him against the lockers and kiss him. Of course, in his position, Kogure-sempai wouldn't be able to protest and if we follow your assumptions, he _wouldn't_. And that would be the opening that—" He broke off, feeling the weight of the stares that he was getting. "What?"

"You're awake." Miyagi's voice was laden with a fusion of shock and amazement.

"That was the longest string of words I've heard from you," Ayako said incredously.

"More importantly, how the hell did you know those things?" Hanamichi accused.

Rukawa was thinking of a proper retort to that but due to the fact that he had exceeded the number of words that he usually uttered plus going through the process of thinking itself, his brain short-circuited. And so, he settled for a word that was simple yet very effective: "Do'aho."

"Teme Kitsune!"

"I don't think it's right that you jump into conclusion. Some things are not what they seem." Kogure raised his voice, possibly to stop the bickering between the two.

It was effective; Hanamichi's attention shifted to the brown-eyed vice-captain. "But Micchy opened a can of soda for you."

"Yes, and I thank him for that. It was kind of him," Kogure conceeded, smiling.

"And he was jealous when you opened a can for me."

"He was probably just annoyed because you keep calling him names."

"He moved closer and placed a hand on your shoulder."

"Mitsui said that my handwriting is too small; he has to lean closer to get a better look."

Hanamichi was silent, processing what Kogure said. Then, he shook his head in disapproval. "Megane-kun, Megane-kun. No need to cover up the truth. You two are way too obvious."

"But I—"

"Making up excuses so that Micchy won't be embarrassed. Hmm, I wonder." Hanamichi said thoughtfully. "Does Micchy hold the real power in this relationship?"

"Ok, that's enough!" Mitsui bellowed, slamming his fists on the table. "You want to know the truth? I'll tell you the truth." He took a deep breath before he let it all out.

"There was never a confession."

Kogure sighed in relief upon hearing the words. Damage control, finally.

"We've been dancing around each other for so long that there wasn't any need for one." Mitsui continued. "The only thing left to ask was to:

"Go steady with me."

As cinnamon eyes questioned the sapphire ones, Kogure felt his jaw grew slack and fell open. Surely, this was just a joke. But before he could recover, he felt fingers tracing the lines of his jaw, finally stopping at his chin and propped his mouth shut. Kogure wondered if this was part of Mitsui's charade.

However, the affectionate look that the shooting guard was giving him was anything but feigned.

It made the bespectacled vice-captain blush. And when he turned his attention to his teammates, he discovered they were all sharing amused smiles. Kogure's blush intensified.

But he knew that Mitsui didn't mean anything with this. If anything, it was most probable that he was just giving their teammates a little payback for teasing them. Very apt, too in Kogure's opinion though he wished Mitsui chose another method. One that did not involve making his face red.

It wasn't the first time that the MVP did something like this. Always, always he would tell Kogure that he looked cute and even cuter without his glasses, he would suggest casually that they go out and when the bespectacled boy's face couldn't get any more redder, Mitsui would laugh and say "Min-kun, you're so easy to tease" or something along those lines.

It wasn't fair, really. He wanted to hear those words for the longest time but for the shooting guard, it was just a joke.

And Mitsui's act was working if his teammates' reactions were indications. So Kogure turned his eyes to the shooting guard, pleading him to stop, he had made his point. However, Mitsui was already facing his audience.

"It was selfish of me to ask because of all the troubles that I've given him and you would probably agree that Min-kun would be getting the raw end of the deal." At this, Mitsui smiled. "I just wanted to know if I'm not in this alone. Because contrary to what you assumed, Min-kun truly holds the power in this relationship.

"One smile and I would cool down. One word and I would follow. And if he said no to me that time, I know that I would be crushed." Mitsui turned to Kogure and smiled.

There wasn't any mischievous glint in his blue eyes. If anything, Mitsui actually looked sincere. But Kogure knew that it would all end with "I was just kidding! Can't believe you fell for that." Despite that, the vice-captain never stopped wishing for another outcome.

And the dismissal never came. He had waited for this for so long and it was perfect just as he had imagined. It was so perfect that it had to be ruined.

"So does that mean that Megane-kun gets to be on top?"

It was odd but most of Mitsui's reflections were done inside the bathroom. And so, when the redhead asked the stupid question, he got up, locked himself inside the bathroom and started to reflect.

What harm could a five-minute break do?

His hidden feelings for the quiet vice-captain, his subtle hints and even his plans of confessing were all divulged in a matter of five minutes. Indeed, what could a five-minute break do?

As he washed his hands, he pondered on what he would do next. He didn't want to deny it for he had his share in the revelation but he was afraid of Kogure's reaction. Because no matter how many times he had made the vice-captain's face red with his subtle overtures on dating, Mitsui didn't know where to stand when it comes to Kogure.

When Kogure blushed, it was because he was an easy person to tease. When he visited him in the hospital, it was because he was the type who would visit someone in the hospital. When he smiled, it was because he was always smiling. When he was kind to him, it was because he was kind to everyone.

There was no single thing that Kogure had said or done that could be taken as a token of his affection for the MVP; he was a natural. His only flaw was that he tried to see the goodness in everyone. And so, every hint that Mitsui showed was misinterpreted.

It made Mitsui frustrated, it made him want to pull his hair and it made him decide that he should confess. On their graduation day. But of course, his schedule was ruined five minutes ago.

There was a soft knock on the door. As expected, it was Kogure. Mitsui had to turn off the faucet to hear the vice-captain. "Mitsui, you've been there for quite sometime. Are you all right?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Only the door separated them. It was a scary thought.

"If you feel embarrassed about what has been said, you could tell them it was a joke," Kogure offered.

How much did it cost the vice-captain to say those words? Mitsui could feel the strength in those soft-spoken words, like as if the bespectacled boy was prepared to have his hopes dashed. He could never hope to match his strength but he could tell him the truth.

"I lied about your handwriting, Min-kun. Yours is flawless." It felt like confessing his sins but it was a start.

A pause. And then, Kogure was chuckling. "Was that a confession? You're inside the bathroom for crying out loud."

Sensing that he was yet again being misinterpreted, Mtsui threw pride, hesitation and fear away and opened the door. "I lied about your handwrtting, Min-kun. Yours is flawless."

The moment those words left his mouth, he regretted having them said. He was supposed to say something like, "I've been in love with you for years," or maybe something not as mushy but just as wonderful. If there was any way to bang his head against the bathroom door without looking extremely stupid, he would have done so. Why the hell did he suddenly back out?

"Um, that's ok, I guess." Kogure looked adorably confused. "We should go now. They're waiting for us."

Mitsui watched as the vice-captain turned to walk away, silently apologizing for lacking the courage to speak out his feelings. He really deserved someone better. Maybe that was the real reason why he couldn't confess.

Suddenly, Kogure was facing him again. "Aren't you going to say something?" he asked patiently.

"Um, I'm sorry?"

Kogure took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened his them, the patience was still there. "Ok, apology accepted. Anything else?"

Mitsui thought hard. "No, that was it."

The patience in those brown eyes changed into a mixture of fierceness and frustration so intense that it could be accounted as anger. It was almost the same expression Kogure wore in the gym, the first time Mitsui had seen him snapped.

"What about the things you've said earlier? Would you deny them? Confirm them? Don't I deserve an explanation?"

Mitsui remained rooted on the spot where he was standing, his mouth falling open. Kogure was now closing the distance between and he knew he should do something, _say_ something but he just couldn't.

"I'll make this easier for you, Hisashi." Kogure grabbed him by the collar, pulling him down so he could meet his eyes. "Are you in love with me?"

He was blushing despite his grip, Mitsui noted. But then again, so was he. Somehow, it _did_ made things easier for him. "Yes, I am. For years."

"Good." Kogure smiled as he loosened his grip on Mitsui's shirt. "Me too."

Somehow, Kogure's arms wound around Mitsui's neck while his around his waist. They closed the little distance between them and kissed.

It was everything that Mitsui wanted. It was wonderful and perfect, so perfect that it had to be ruined.

The sound of a broken glass startled them and made the two reluctantly pulled away from their kiss. They turned to see their captain gaping at them.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Akagi said apologetically although his eyes were still wide in shock. "Sorry to interrupt your super duper love-love moment." A pause. "I didn't say that."

Kogure leaned on Mitsui's shoulder, trying to stifle his giggle. Mitsui just smiled. "Don't ruin it next time and we won't tell that you just did. Deal?"

"Deal." Akagi looked at the mess that he had made as if trying to decide whether to clean up with Mitsui and Kogure still clinging to each other or postpone cleaning up until they were out of his sight. Deciding on the latter, he started to walk away. "You should go back. We're starting in just a few minutes."

"We should go back." Kogure said a little after their captain disappeared, raising his head.

"Yes, sir." Mitsui said meekly, catching one of Kogure's hands and entwining it with his. The vice-captain laughed, probably because it made him recall his little monologue about power.

In all honesty, Mitsui would rather make out with the bespectacled boy than to return to their study session. Akagi would try to explain through analogy why Mitsui was holding Kogure's hand. Ryota would tease him mercilessly. Ayako would rave about super duper love-love moments. Hanamichi would want an answer to his question. Rukawa wouldn't be so affected but the memory of the super rookie launching an almost graphic description of what he could do inside the locker room would forever be burned inside Mitsui's mind.

In another time, Mitsui would want to kill them. But for now, he decided to let it all pass in recognition for the five-minute break that gave him everything.

__

end

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Thanks to osmalic for editing this. But you still owe me a ruhana fic. ;p

NOTES: I wanted Akagi to say "super duper love-love moment". Actually, I wanted everyone to say that. And I really think that Miyagi is a romantic.

It may seem that it's OOC for Kogure to snap like that but if you would recall, he did snap once (in one of the episodes) and it was also because of Mitsui. See the pattern?

For the record, I haven't watched "The Runaway Bride". The quote was from a friend. Really.


End file.
